Eight is Great!

It's birthday week around here!

~What a blessing that Princess gets to share her birthday week with Our Lady~
**Princess is 9/6 and Our Lady is 9/8**

Princess chose a Nature and Owl theme for her birthday this year...

In our family, we ask the children to chose whether they would like a special birthday gift(s) from Mom and Dad or a birthday party(at a chosen location) with friends.  For example, if they would like to have a bowling birthday party, they opt out of gifts from Mom and Dad since these types of party locations are usually quite expensive.  We started this tradition long ago to keep costs down and still make birthdays special.  It has also helped the children learn to make choices, knowing they can't have it all.  
Another tradition we have is that the birthday person gets to pick all of their favorite meals for the day, including a family dinner.  Princess chose Tortellini Alfredo, garlic bread, and salad.  Regardless of the choice, the birthday person is treated with extra special care to celebrate the glorious day of their birth!
Princess began her birthday with morning Mass and receiving birthday blessings...
Then off to pick out donuts for a treat.

This year, Princess really wanted a new bed covering so she opted out of a birthday party with friends.  She picked out an owl bed covering (JC Penney's is having an amazing sale on bedding right now) and Dad offered to re-paint the girls room to match! (Princess and Angel Baby share a room)

Praise God for Dazzling Daddy's laboring away on "Labor Day!"

Princess loves lavender!

At the time that Princess picked out her bedding, she was sleeping in a twin bed with Angel Baby (recently out of her crib) beside her  on a mattress.  We hadn't gotten a 2nd bed since Angel Baby still tosses about quite a bit.  With just the mattress on the floor, we knew that Angel Baby wouldn't be too traumatized if she rolled off. 

The day after Princess picked out her bedding, our VERY generous neighbors (unaware that we needed another bed) offered to give us a bunk bed and dressers to match!

Hallelujah!

~Praise God for this huge blessing~

And "what-do-you-now", the furniture all has lavender trim!

It was a perfect birthday gift from God for Princess. 

So according to Princess,  8 is great!

~I will post an update with a final bedroom photo as we finish up painting this week~

I looked up the Christian Symbolism for owls and butterflies, the predominant design on the bedding.  I love this reference site.  And we definitely prefer the 2nd meaning for owls!

Owl: the owl has a double meaning: 1) the perfidious Jews who, preferring darkness to light, reject Jesus, and 2) (from the Aberdeen Bestiary), "In a mystic sense, the night-owl signifies Christ. Christ loves the darkness of night because he does not want sinners - who are represented by darkness - to die but to be converted and live... The night-owl lives in the cracks in walls, as Christ wished to be born one of the Jewish people, saying: 'I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel'. But Christ is crushed in the cracks of the walls, because he is killed by the Jews. Christ shuns the light in the sense that he detests and hates vainglory... The night-owl flies at night in search of food, as Christ converts sinners into the body of the Church by preaching. In a moral sense, moreover, the night-owl signifies to us not just any righteous man, but rather one who lives among other men yet hides from their view as much as possible. He flees from the light, in the sense that he does not look for the glory of human praise."

Butterfly: The beautiful butterfly, with the power of flight, emerging from the apparently lifeless cocoon: what could be a more perfect symbol of the Resurrection?

This week we will be working on some nature crafts, inspired by Princess and her nature theme.  I just love this paper plate owl from Crafts by Amanda.  And some great butterfly crafts over at DLTK.  The birthday celebrations will continue!

God Bless you, dear "Eight is Great!"

May you always turn to Our Lady who will never fail in leading you closer to her Son.

UPDATE!

The birthday bedroom is finished!  Final photos attached...

This is the adorable bunkbed, so generously given by our neighbors.

This is a view of the purple wall and purple curtains!

Here is a close-up of Princess' Birthday Bedding on the top bunk!

Angel Baby is on the bottom bunk, using Princess' old bedding.

Whew, color coordination worked out!

Happy 8th Birthday, dear daughter.